Hospital Association Launches Ad Campaign Against Malloy Tax Proposal

The Connecticut Hospital Association is taking its case against Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's budget proposal to the airwaves.

The group on Thursday began running ads on cable and broadcast television critical of the Democratic governor's plan to permit cities and towns to tax hospital real estate.

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"The proposed budget, with a scheme to let municipalities tax hospitals, has once again put hospitals and their services at risk,'' said Jennifer Jackson, CEO of the hospital association. "After more than $2 billion taxed and cut from hospitals in the past five years, we have no choice but to once again fight back against these dangerous and unprecedented attacks on patients, hospitals, and our healthcare system. We look forward to again working with legislators to protect and defend the critical healthcare services on which the people of Connecticut deserve and rely."

Chris McClure, a spokesman for the state Office of Policy and Management, shot back. "Let's be clear: in a budget that includes $1.3 billion in spending cuts, the governor's plan would increase total funding to the hospital industry by $28 million,'' he said.

"For one of the few sectors that does well in the budget to cry foul and distort the facts is unfortunate, especially when the proposal would also inject more dollars into local municipalities. For an industry that repeatedly claims to be in dire financial circumstances, it's remarkable that they can find millions of dollars every year for paid advertising," McClure said.